Return To Brokeback: An Alternate Ending
by Blake Summers
Summary: Ennis loves Jack. Ennis is married to Alma. Jack love Ennis. Jack will stop at nothing to get him back. The two return to Signal the next summer, and Aguirre gives them a job. How will this second chance affect their future? Chapter 4 up
1. A Second Chance

_Return to Brokeback: An Alternate Ending_

_Ennis loves Jack._

_Ennis is married to Alma._

_Jack loves Ennis._

_Jack will stop at nothing to get him back._

Author's Note: There's a few things you should know about this story. It's set the summer after Jack and Ennis' first summer on the mountain. Joe Aguirre never saw the two "stemming the rose." Also, Alma is not pregnant, nor has she and Ennis had any children. Ennis and Jack did have the fight before they left.

Rating: M – for language, sexual content, and future violent themes

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters originally used in the movie, they are the property of those who created them.

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_Chapter One_

_A Second Chance_

-Signal, Wyoming-

-Summer, 1964-

Jack could not describe what was he was feeling. It was a tingled mix of excitement and fear. His fingers were cold, his face warm, and his entire body was tingling with anticipation. As he drove to hard-ass Joe Aguirre's trailer office, he only hoped one thing: that Ennis Del Mar would be sitting inside the office waiting to be given a job.

Once he pulled his black pick-up truck into the parking lot in front of Aguirre's office he spotted Aguirre's truck and another old pick-up he did not recognize. In the driver's seat sat a dark-haired woman, not outstandingly gorgeous in any way but with a classic girl-next-door beauty. She was homely woman; Jack could only wonder why she was there. As he stepped out of his truck he tipped his hat to her. She smiled and waved in return just as he stepped into Aguirre's trailer.

Jack's heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he saw Ennis leaning against the wall inside. Aguirre nodded to Jack and rose from his desk. Ennis looked back and gave Jack only a one second glance before returning his eyes to Aguirre.

"Okay, boys," Aguirre began, running his hand over his bald spot, "you two didn't do as good as I thought you would last summer. I had a 20 percent loss. I'm going to give ya'll a second chance, because I think that you might be able do better. Rules are same as last year, and just remember that you're lucky I'm giving you a second chance."

Jack shook his head slightly; Aguirre was still the self-righteous git he had always been.

"Yes sir," Ennis nodded.

"Well get to it," Aguirre eyed the two of them, "We'll be counting, roping, and branding the sheep in two hours. I recommend you nab a little bit of rest before that."

XXXX

Jack and Ennis stepped outside of the trailer and were welcomed by a bright sun, clear sky, and by the woman in the truck rushing up to Ennis to hug him.

"Did he give you the job?" she asked Ennis, taking both of his hands into hers. Jack raised an eyebrow at this motion, and immediately knew who this woman was.

"Yeah, Alma, he did." Ennis replied in his usual short worded way.

Alma smiled, "Who's your friend?"

"Jack Twist," Jack introduced himself and shook her hand, "pleased to meet you ma'am. I heard a lot about you last summer."

Ennis eyed Jack, noting his jealous tone. Alma merely smiled and nodded, "Well, that sure is always nice to hear. I'm Alma Del Mar. Can you make sure to take care of my husband up there? I want him back in one piece."

"Will do ma'am," Jack nodded and cocked his eyes at Ennis, "but if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go sit in my truck for a moment before we have to head out."

Jack was extremely well mannered, something Ennis did not know exactly how to take. He could be extremely angry, or could not care at all. Either way, Ennis knew there would be many issues to deal with between the two of them before things could run smoothly once again.

"Well," Alma said as Jack walked off, "I guess this is it." A tear began to form underneath her eye.

"It's only a few months," Ennis assured her, "and the pay's real good. We'll be able to get a place of our own after this, no more renting. I love you."

Alma nodded and hugged her husband, "I love you. You be careful now."

Ennis nodded and Alma turned to go to the truck. She waved goodbye through the windshield as she started the old Chevrolet. Once she pulled out and was well off down the road, Ennis glanced over to Jack's truck. Jack was staring off into the distance, opposite Ennis' direction.

XXXX

Jack was actually surprised when Ennis hopped into the passenger seat of his truck. Even more surprised when Ennis wasted no time in starting conversation.

"Mind if I sit down?" Ennis questioned.

_Do I have a choice,_ Jack thought. "Nope."

Ennis nodded, "I see you decided to come back, good choice."

_I came back for you, too bad it ain't the same way around, _Jack thought. "Yep."

Ennis nodded again, "It's a little obvious that you're not happy right now."

_How'd you guess? _"Yep," Jack replied as he glared out of the windshield, avoiding Ennis' glance.

Ennis nodded yet again, the repetition in the conversation being a bit too much for him to handle, "I can leave if you want."

Jack said nothing; he just kept his piercing glare fixed through the windshield.

Ennis sighed and opened the door to the truck.

"Don't," Jack finally spoke, "don't go."

Ennis nodded and shut the door once more. He took in a 360 degree glance of the outside to be sure no one was in sight. He placed his hand over Jack's, which was resting on the seat of the truck.

"I do believe you send out more mixed signals that a fucked up radio tower," Jack turned and eyed Ennis, the two locking gazes.

"I don't know what you mean," Ennis broke the glance and looked down at their hands.

"Oh," Jack nodded, "so by coming back you didn't mean that you were still interested in me, and by getting married you didn't mean that you weren't."

Ennis shook his head, "I never said such a thing, in either case."

"The fact is that you never said anything," Jack sighed, "I always did the talking and the thinking, you always seemed to take everything as it came."

"Planning ahead wouldn't have made anything turn out different," Ennis protested, "what happens happens, and what don't don't."

Jack shook his head, "Whatever you say, Ennis. Goddammit, did last summer mean nothing to you? We had something back then, and then we end it in a joke wrestle turned real where you give me a black eye and not a word of explanation? That's bullshit Ennis, and you know it."

"What do you want me to say? Sorry?" Ennis eyed the young rodeo cowboy, "Well I am; I regretted hitting you everyday. My biggest fear was that you wouldn't be here now."

"Good way of showing it," Jack nodded to himself, "getting married and all."

"What did you expect me to do?"

"I don't know."

"Then why are we fighting?"

"I didn't know we were."

"Bullshit boy," Ennis eyed Jack, "I'm tired of us arguing. We didn't even say hey. This isn't how I pictured us meeting again."

"And what did you picture?" Jack eyed Ennis. He just looked down to the floorboard, not speaking a word. "Jesus Christ, Ennis, would it kill you to say something?"

"I don't know what to say!" Ennis exclaimed.

"How about you say that you were looking forward to the two of us being together again?" Jack glanced around to be sure no one was in eyesight, an assurance the two of them needed on a regular basis. When he was sure no one could see the two of them he turned to Ennis and scooted closer to him. Their legs touched in the small truck, Jack putting one of his hands on Ennis' shoulder and the other squeezing Ennis' thigh. "How about that you missed me so much everyday that you couldn't do anything without being reminded of me? Because that's how I felt about you. There wasn't a day that I didn't think about how you smelled, how you smiled, how you felt. How about you tell me you thought we'd meet up again and not even fear of being seen by Aguirre would keep us off of one another, at least for a moment? Because I did."

Ennis looked down and then back up at Jack. He glanced over Jack's shoulder at Aguirre's trailer. All of the blinds were let down and the door was shut. With that he leaned in and pressed his lips against Jack's. His tongue slipped out of his mouth and into Jack's with ease. The two tongues wrestled for a moment before Jack trailed his hand down Ennis' torso. He grasped Ennis' crotch through his pants and kept kissing him. The two began to breathe heavily even though they had only been kissing for a moment. Ennis was the one to break the kiss.

"I'm sorry bud," he said, "for everything. I did miss you, everyday. Please, don't be mad at me." He looked up to stare Jack in the eyes only to find Jack looking at him through star-struck eyes.

The moment resembled that of a night almost a year ago, the night after they made love for the first time.

XXXX

-Brokeback Mountain-

-Summer, 1963-

"_If you've got a fucking problem then don't talk to me! Its faggots like you that make life complicated!"_

Ennis' harsh words echoed in Jack's ears as he sat shirtless in the tent. The night before, he and Ennis had shared an amazing night together in that same tent. Tonight, however, Ennis sat out by the campfire, slightly drunk, while Jack stared blankly above him relaying the fight he and Ennis had not fifteen minutes before.

They had shared only a few words earlier that evening. In a few short sentences, the two assured one another that neither of them were queer and that their night together was a one-time thing to be kept secret between the two of them. Jack had thought that would be the end of it, until Ennis began drinking whisky later that night.

"_You might want to slow down, bud," Jack had said, "we all know where too much whisky puts you."_

"_What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ennis glared at Jack because of his words._

"_I didn't mean nothing by it," Jack sighed, "just saying."_

"_Just saying that I'm an alcoholic," Ennis threw an empty bottle into the fire, "just saying that liquor turns me queer."_

"_I didn't say that," Jack eyed Ennis, "don't be putting no words in my mouth."_

"_I'm just saying what you're scared to admit you're thinking," Ennis opened a new bottle and began sipping._

"_You're drunk," Jack shook his head._

"_And you're hoping we end up the same way we ended up last night," Ennis crossed his arms, drunkenly content with himself._

"_So what!?" Jack turned, finally snapping on Ennis, "You have your dick in me for one night and you think you know everything about me!?"_

"_If you've got a fucking problem then don't talk to me! Its faggots like you that make life complicated!"_

Jack shut his eyes and shook his head. He did not want Ennis to be so angry at him, but then again he had reason to be angry. Jack knew that he wanted Ennis long before he made a move, and Jack took his first shot at having what he wanted. Maybe Ennis was still drunk that early morning when they had sex, maybe it was Jack's fault that it happened. What was worse in Jack's mind was the thought he would never have another chance with Ennis.

When he opened his eyes, Ennis was sitting at the open flaps of the tent.

After the two stared each other down for a moment, Jack rose and sat up next to Ennis. He wrapped him in his arms, Ennis breathing heavily onto his neck.

"I'm sorry," he choked out, "for what I said."

"It's alright," Jack whispered into his ear as he pulled him back to lie down. He and Ennis laid together for a moment before Ennis opened his eyes and looked at Jack. He leaned in and started a kiss between them.

The passion flaring between the two was enough to heat both of them for the rest of the night. They pressed their bodies together, their hands freely exploring one another, until Jack pushed Ennis onto his back and straddled him He leaned down and began to kiss him again as he worked the slightly drunk cowboy's shirt off. Within the next few moments both were completely nude and grinding on one another in a heated foreplay.

After a few moments, Ennis was once again inside of Jack, a feeling that plunged both of them into ecstasy. However, this time Jack was not bent over with Ennis ramming him from behind. This time, they were staring one another in the eyes, knowing that something more was between them than just physical attraction. This time it was not just a hook-up, this time it was personal.

XXXX

-Signal, Wyoming-

-Summer, 1964-

When Aguirre exited his trailer, Jack and Ennis were sitting on the tailgate of Jack's truck. Both were talking, their words audible from the rancher's door. The two were laughing, especially Jack, who was never one to keep his conversations quiet, at least his public ones. Aguirre wasted no time in approaching the two of them.

"I hope you boys are ready to work," Aguirre began, "your summer's about to start."

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Author's Note: What did you think? Any feedback you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	2. Sheep, Branding Irons, and Bears

_Chapter Two_

_Sheep, Branding Irons, and Bears_

Jack moaned slightly as Ennis dug his hands into his shoulders. Jack's hands ached from tying knots all day, and his back ached from dragging sheep to and from the branding iron. Aguirre was not one to soften the workload on anyone that under his employ, and as such Ennis and Jack received no breaks the entire day. Also, the job took longer than expected and left Jack and Ennis no time to guide the sheep up the mountain.

In an unusually courteous manner, Aguirre arranged for Jack and Ennis to stay the night at the Signal Motor Inn. Although it was a small, rat-infested hole of a hotel, it did arrange for Jack and Ennis to spend some quality time together without watching their backs for the bulk of the time. As far as quality time was concerned, Jack was happy with his backrub.

"My hands ain't gonna last for long," Ennis broke the silence in the room, "so don't go getting spoiled."

Had Jack really went from being so angry at Ennis that he could have pushed his head through his truck's windshield to so pleased with the state of their relationship that he could sit in silence with him all night with no complaints? It had to be possible because that was exactly how Jack was feeling. Not on fire with passion. Not alive with emotions. He was merely content with a feeling of safety for his relationship with Ennis.

"You still alive in there?" Ennis questioned, he had never known Jack to be silent, unless he was extremely pissed, like he was earlier that day.

Jack removed Ennis' hands from his bare shoulders. Although the shoulder and back rub was nice, he had more important matters to discuss.

"I was just thinking," he said as he pushed Ennis back on the bed, "why did we end up fighting the day we left the mountain?"

Ennis shrugged as Jack rested his head on his chest, "I don't know. I guess my temper just got the best of me. You know, I was feeling a lot that day."

"It's funny," Jack said as he ran his hand up and down Ennis' torso, "I know you feel just as much as me, but you never talk about it."

Ennis grinned, "I guess I don't need to anymore, I'm pretty sure you can read me good."

Jack nodded and exhaled heavily, "I'm so tired. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow. At least we'll be truly alone up there."

Ennis shrugged, "Another summer for the two of us."

Jack did not reply to Ennis' words. Instead, he allowed himself to drift off to a shallow slumber. Ennis, on the other hand, was wide awake. And no matter how odd it was, he was happy just to watch his twenty-year old lover sleep.

XXXX

Ennis cracked open his eyes, and then proceeded to snap them shut when the light from the open doorway and the open window interrupted his sleep. He first saw Aguirre, and immediately panicked when he realized he and Jack had slept in the same bed last night. He jumped up, his heart skipping a beat for fear that Aguirre may have caught the two boys. Luckily, Jack was already up and dressed. He slapped Ennis on the chest, which earned an "Ow, dammit!" reply from him, as he handed Aguirre a cup of coffee.

"Get up you lazy bastard," Jack winked at him with his back turned to Aguirre, "we've got sheep to herd."

XXXX

The day passed swiftly, leaving echoes of loud sheep and barking dogs ringing in the back of Jack and Ennis' heads. By the time that they had herded the sheep up the mountain, retrieved their food from Aguirre's carriers, and set up camp, the two were just at tired as they were the night before.

"Mmm, mm, mmm, mmm, mm," Jack mumbled in a sing-song rhythm as he warmed a can of beans, "I can't believe that we've been here for a few hours and already get to eat beans."

Ennis grunted as he loaded his bolt-action rifle, "I do believe I'd rather drink whisky tonight."

Jack grinned as he stirred the beans in the can, "Are you already going to start the drinking games?"

Ennis slammed the lever on his rifle down to secure his bullet in his gun's chamber. He then propped it up on a nearby tree and walked up behind Jack. Before speaking, he placed two hands securely on Jack's butt and squeezed, hard enough to make Jack yelp in surprise.

"Yes," Ennis said, "the drinking games are on."

Jack rubbed his butt, "That kind of hurt."

Ennis laughed, "Well, once we get done eating those beans you've slaved over, you can head on up the mountain to tend to the sheep. I'll stay here tonight because I want to get drunk. I'll take over tomorrow."

"We're playing shifts this summer?"

"I suppose so," Ennis retrieved a pint of whisky from a supply bag strung up between two trees.

Jack nodded, "I don't know how I'm gonna survive a night without you."

Ennis was about to take a swig of his whisky, but stopped once Jack spoke. Jack's words were genuine, as they usually were in concern with the two of them. The truth that Jack could never express to Ennis was that his single sentence confessions of love took a lot of courage on his part to say. Why? Because Ennis rarely spoke a word, in any situation, especially those with any concern with emotion. Ennis was the classic strong and silent type, and that made him intimidating.

So, Ennis stuck his pint of whisky in his jacket pocket and walked up behind Jack once more. He wrapped his arms around the cowboy's waist and pulled him close. He then hummed an all too familiar tune in Jack's ear, one that took him back all the way to last summer.

XXXX

-Brokeback Mountain-

-Summer, 1963-

The sun had been hiding behind thick gray clouds all day. As the day rounded out into early evening, the woods were unusually dark and slightly damp from rain the night before. Jack was standing in front of a dying fire, his hands tucked in his tight jean pockets, with his head cocked down. He was drifting off to sleep while standing.

He drifted back into consciousness, only slightly, when Ennis wrapped his arms around him from behind.

"You're sleeping while standing up, just like a horse," Ennis spoke lightly in Jack's ear, "that's what my mamma used to say."

Jack grinned slightly, but still could not force himself to completely wake up. He leaned back in Ennis' arms as his lover began to hum a calming tune into his ear. An odd feeling came over Jack as Ennis lightly hummed. It did not tingle like goosebumps, but was more of an inner-body shiver. It was a sensation that he had not felt before.

Ennis patted Jack on the chest and kissed his neck, "I got to go, I'll see you in the morning."

Jack opened his eyes just enough to watch Ennis as he saddled up on his horse and began to head off down a well-beaten trail. It was not until Ennis had disappeared that Jack realized what it was he was feeling.

Jack was falling in love with Ennis.

XXXX

-Brokeback Mountain-

-Summer, 1964-

The days and nights began to pass as Jack and Ennis grew accustomed to their systematic job. The days brought about a reunion for the two lovers, usually spent eating a bit of food, taking a few sips of liquor, and then having sex before one or the other headed back up the mountain to tend to the sheep. Then the nights would reunite them once more, where they'd eat again, drink a lot more, and nap together in the tent before one woke up to go back up the mountain.

A predictable schedule, a few cans of beans, plenty of whisky, and a bit of free time is what Aguirre's herding assignment had given them. After the first month, Jack and Ennis had forged a bond much stronger than what they had before. From playful wrestling matches early in the morning, most of which were egged on by one forcing the other to wake up before he wanted to, to drunken conversations that led no where but to kissing and sex, to passing away dull hours apart, the two were beginning to fall even more for each other than they would have originally guessed.

What surprised both of them the most is that they had not fought once during their stay on Brokeback Mountain. They had killed over twelve coyotes, and lost only two sheep, which was another point to be happy about. For a while Jack had thought that their surreal experience would see no end. He assumed that nothing would happen to interrupt the ease of their summer lifestyle.

One morning early in the month of June, Ennis returned from herding sheep the night before to eat breakfast with Jack. In usual custom, the two ate, talked, shared a shot of whisky, and Jack rose up to take his turn to heard sheep.

"Do I need to teach you how to tie a saddle on a horse again?" Ennis eyed Jack as he threw a saddle on his horse.

"I know what I'm doing," Jack said, "I've rode more saddles than—" he then caught a grin on Ennis' face and realized how his words could have been interpreted. "You know what I mean, smart ass."

Ennis nodded, "Alright, but when you bust your ass on the trail when the saddle slides off, remember to think of me."

Jack walked up to Ennis, "I never need to remember to think of you, I do that enough already." He planted a kiss on Ennis' lips before he turned and hopped on the horse, "I'll see you tonight."

Ennis nodded and watched Jack disappear down the trail; he then turned around and began to take down their tent.

Down the trail, Jack playfully rode the horse, attempting to entertain himself on the ride up. He charged around a corner up to where a creek intersected their route up the mountain. Usually the horse would step through the foot deep creek without a problem, but this day was different. This day there was a large grizzly bear snacking on fish and blocking their path.

"Holy shit!" Jack exclaimed as he attempted to halt the horse. But this only scared the horse more than it had been. In a startling move, the horse kicked back hard enough to throw the un-tied saddle off of its back, along with Jack. The horse then turned and charged off down the trail, Jack's wrist hung in the horse's straps.

"STOP!" Jack hollered as the horse drug him through thick woods. Unfortunately, the horse did not stop, but did manage to drag Jack head first into a tree truck, popping his wrist out of the straps, and out of place, and knocking him into an unwanted state of unconsciousness. Jack had blacked out and was dead to the world, and dead to the fact that the aggressive grizzly was walking slowly up to him.

Back at camp, Ennis was aroused by the echo of Jack's yells. He was then thrown into a state of shock as his horse charged out through the woods over a five-foot cleft that sent it careening out of balance and down to the ground.

Ennis dropped what he was doing at the time and yanked his gun away from the tree it was propped on, "JACK!"

Author's Note: Thanks for all of reviews and feedback!


	3. Relapse

_Chapter Three_

_Relapse_

Ennis' blood was pumping faster than one of Aguirre's sheep while being pursued by a coyote. Jack's horse had erupted through the woods in an obvious state of panic, and Jack's voice rung through the thick patch of trees, bushes and briars with an obvious call for help. There was no denying that this was a dangerous job, for there were many animals in the mountains that, if angered, could do much harm to an unarmed or unknowing person. Jack was probably one of the two.

Briars scraped across Ennis' clothes and hands. He swiped his way through the woods with no regard to what was in front of him; his mind was hell-bent on getting to Jack. He had only the lost echo of Jack's voice to guide him. Ennis could not recall a time when he was more scared, for himself and for another.

When Ennis erupted out of a thick patch of woods he found the same grizzly that had startled Jack's horse nuzzling Jack's limp body. Jack was unresponsive. The bear had not bit into the young rodeoer, nor had it caused him any harm in any way. For a second Ennis considered waiting, his common sense telling him that the bear was likely to leave Jack lying there as long as he remained limp. But then again, who believed the rural legend that if you stay limp a bear will leave you alone?

Ennis would not have the time to find out, because Jack began to come back into consciousness. Jack opened his eyes and was greeted by the view of a grizzly bear hovering to his side. Jack was utterly startled, and jerked away from the bear in natural response. The bear cocked its head to the side and let out a threatening growl, which sounded more to Jack like a roar.

The next few moments flew by at a fast pace. It started with the bang of Ennis' rifle, and the muffling sound of a bullet digging into the bear's flesh. The large animal stumbled, but recovered and turned to charge at Ennis. Jack jumped up and wildly looked around him for the saddle that had fallen off of the horse, because his gun would be resting in that saddle in its holster. Ennis ran from the bear as he frantically attempted to load another bullet. Ennis circled around in the thick bunch of trees, briars, and branches until he erupted back nearer the creek. Jack was waiting there with his gun ready. Ennis dropped to the ground and Jack fired, the bullet once again hitting the bear. Neither of the shots appeared to be fatal, but after two hits the bear decided it had enough and ran away.

Jack dropped his gun and rushed up to Ennis, who was still lying on the ground, obviously in a state of shock. Surprisingly, when Jack bend over to hug Ennis he was shoved away, shoved away with such force that he was knocked off balance and fell to the ground himself. Ennis rose from his spot and stormed off through the woods back to the campsite; he spoke no words to Jack during his swift exit.

XXXX

Jack poked the weak campfire to stir up flames to help cook two pieces of meat. He was preparing his and Ennis' dinner, although Ennis had not spoken a word to him since the bear attack earlier that morning. Ennis was such an unusual person; everything had been going good until what happened earlier that day. Ennis would not speak, he just sat and sipped whisky, occasionally rising to go take a piss or to go down to the river for no apparent reason. He could be mad, or he could have relapsed back into his old ways of behaving, the way he behaved when Jack first met him.

It was no secret between the two that Ennis had gotten comfortable around Jack. Ennis spoke a considerable amount more than he ever had before, and he seemed happier than he did last summer. Jack could only guess that he was happy that they were reunited peacefully (to explain his positive change in behavior) but he had no explanation for why Ennis was so angry at him for the bear attack. It was not Jack's fault, there was no way he could have helped it. Would not the same have happened to Ennis if he were treading up that well-beaten trail instead of Jack?

"Supper's ready," Jack said to Ennis, who was lying in the tent.

Ennis did not reply.

"I said supper's ready," Jack called again as he took his meat off of the cheap wire placed over the fire.

Ennis still did not say a word.

"Ennis!" Jack called, and finally there was a rustling in the tent, followed by Ennis erupting from the tent's closed flaps.

Ennis, as seemed to be his trend for the day, did not speak or look at Jack as he yanked his piece of meat off of the grill. Ennis took his seat by the fire and began to eat. Jack took a seat on the opposite side of the fire.

Jack's eyes never left Ennis' direction, and Ennis' eyes never left his meat. Ennis did not need to look up to notice that Jack's eyes were burning a hole through him, he could feel it. Ennis knew that he was hurting the boy by not speaking to him. Ennis knew that Jack was slowly going crazy not knowing what he was thinking. Ennis also knew, after the debacle that happened earlier that day, that Jack was just as mortal as anyone else. Their surreal attachment that had lasted for so long could be broken just as easily as anything else. Then Ennis would be alone, again. That was not a notion that Ennis was ready to face. His solution was the same that had gotten him through the years without a mother, a father, or a true family that really cared for him: silence.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jack finally said, "You have no fucking reason to be ignoring the way that you are."

"I'm not ignoring you," Ennis said plainly.

"Bullshit," Jack stood from his spot and glared at Ennis, who still did not look at him, "you've been acting like an ass since this morning. Do you want an apology for it? Then fine! I'm sorry, is that it?"

Ennis sighed heavily as he finished his food. He rose from his seat and grabbed his open whisky bottle.

"Don't fucking drink, I'm trying to talk to you!" Jack protested.

Ennis did not reply as he took a swig of whisky.

Jack shook his head and walked up to Ennis. He snatched the whisky bottle out of his hand and tossed it into the fire, the glass breaking and flames rising as it engulfed the alcohol. Jack did not have the time to look back at Ennis before a fist collided with his jaw, sending him flying straight to the ground.

"What the fuck was that for!?" Ennis yelled, "That was the last of our liquor until the end of the week!"

Jack rose from his spot on the ground and immediately charged at Ennis. He leaned forward and tackled Ennis to the ground. For the next few moments the two engaged in a furious, but oddly intimate, fight that ended only when Ennis slammed Jack up against a tree and began to take another blow at the boy, but lowered his fist and charged off instead. He saddled up on his horse and wasted no time in charging up the trail up the mountain, back to spend the night with the sheep.

Jack rubbed his face. Ennis had gotten in a good blow to his jaw, which would lead to a large bruise by morning. Jack fought back tears of frustration as he collapsed inside of the tent to sleep. He was in the same position that Ennis feared so much of being in, again: alone.

XXXX

The next morning, Ennis sat just outside of the small sleeping tent placed up near the sheep's main stomping ground. They were all huddled about a hundred yards away, leaving Ennis with little more to do than watch and wait for a brave coyote to show his face.

On a normal day, he would have almost immediately headed back down to the campsite to visit Jack. Truthfully, that was all he wanted to do, to go home to eat what Jack had cooked. To drink for a moment and then have sex, then listen to Jack talk until it was time to go back up with sheep. He liked to listen to Jack talk, the boy never ran out of things to say. There were very few things Ennis did not like about Jack.

One being that never listened, at least when it came to something he already thought he knew everything about. If Jack had only tied the saddle on the horse like Ennis had recommended, then he may not have been thrown off, which would mean he would not have come so close to dying. Ennis could deal with death, that was not a problem, but he did not know how he would manage if Jack were to be the one to die. A life without Jack by his side was livable, but a life without the possibility of seeing Jack again was not. The later option represented only one thing for Ennis: to be truly alone, the kind of alone he was before he met Jack.

Once he had tasted the boy, been so intimate with him, he could not bear the fact of never seeing him again.

So, to cope with the now prevalent possibility of loosing Jack, Ennis subconsciously did the only thing he knew how to do. He shut himself off. Deep inside, he did not want to keep Jack out, but then again something was keeping him from telling Jack what was wrong with him. It was an internal struggle between a plea for help and a keeping of silence that Ennis could not work through.

The saddest part: not one coyote showed its face to keep Ennis' mind off of his internal struggle. So, with a busy head he rose from his spot and readied his horse for the ride back to the campsite.

XXXX

The next week passed by in a painfully repetitive form. Jack and Ennis no longer took shifts, for Ennis refused to stay at the campsite for more than an hour at a time. He was always up in the mountain; he always tried too hard to keep away from Jack. After the first week of this behavior, Jack decided to take matters into his own hands.

Jack saddled up on his horse late one night, taking nothing more than a flashlight, and made his way up the trail up the mountain. He tied his horse off about an eighth of a mile away from the small sleeping tent Ennis was asleep in. He crept up to the tent and removed the stakes that kept it from flying away in the wind. Then he abruptly ripped the tent out of the ground, tossing the top of it to the side.

Ennis jerked awake and sat up, his blurry vision focusing to see Jack standing in front of him. Jack straddled Ennis lap and pinned him back down onto the ground. Ennis began to say something but Jack put a finger over his mouth.

"Don't say a word, just listen," Jack began, "I know that something's bothering you, but I know you're not going to tell me what it is. I'm here right now to make sure you know that I still need you, whether or not you need me."

Jack removed his finger from Ennis' lips.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ennis questioned, "It's freezing out here!" Jack had ripped away his cover from the outside, and the cold mountain night was beginning to get to him.

"Don't worry about the cold," Jack slipped his hands down Ennis' torso.

It was as if Jack had flipped a switch inside of Ennis. In a fraction of a second Ennis had flipped Jack over onto his stomach. He gripped the boys hips yanked the boy so that he arched his butt a bit farther up. Ennis quickly unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans as Jack did the same thing.

"Come on, Ennis," Jack beckoned in voice even more longing than that of their first night together.

Ennis pulled out his now erect cock and in a few short moments was inside of Jack, a rush of ecstasy overtook them that they had not felt since before their fight over a week earlier. Jack bit his lower lip and arched his back, moaning Ennis' name in such a way that it made Ennis pound harder into him. One of Ennis' hands was pumping Jack's cock; the other was tangled in Jack's short hair. Jack, on the other hand, was gripping the grass underneath him, his knees scraping the ground back and forth as Ennis fucked him from behind.

In a mix of moans and grunts the two made love with more passion than they had in the month and a half they had been back up on Brokeback. Jack felt as though he and Ennis were right once more, and Ennis felt as though he was back where he was supposed to be with the boy who was, at the time, moaning his name along with other sexual taunts to make Ennis go harder until he finally came.

The two were soon lying on the cold grass, both panting and staring each other in the eyes. Ennis grabbed the blanket Jack had thrown off of him, and Jack grabbed the tent tarp he had taken off of its stand. They had not the energy, nor the will, to put the tent back up that night. Ennis merely wrapped the blanket around both of them, and Jack did the same with tarp over the blanket, and the two began to kiss. They fell asleep in each other's arms, their naked bodies touching wherever possible.


	4. The End?

_Chapter Four_

_The End?_

The twenty-year-olds were getting along once more, not a word spoken by either of them of the fighting that had occurred before. Ennis did not say a word about it because he felt no need to, but Jack did not for fear of setting Ennis off again. Their chemistry was odd, a boy as outgoing and talkative as Jack being with someone as reserved as Ennis. Although Ennis warmed up considerably after his and Jack's early morning make-up sex, Ennis was never quite as open as he was before the bear attack.

The two fell back into their previous routine. They would change shifts watching over the sheep, usually share drinks in the morning over a small breakfast, talk and have sex, and then one would go back up the mountain to return in the late afternoon for more food, drinking, talking, and whatever else the two saw fit. On the occasional night when it was Ennis' turn to sleep with the sheep, Jack would convince him to stay in the tent at the campsite.

It was not until mid-August when Jack was returning in the evening from herding sheep that Aguirre showed up at the campsite. He was sitting at the campfire, sipping on what could only be some kind of liquor, talking with Ennis who was solemnly nodding his head. Jack jumped off of his horse and headed on over for the news that Aguirre was bringing.

"Well howdy Aguirre," Jack said as he sat down near the fire.

Aguirre nodded, "I was just now tellin' Ennis what I'm about to tell you. I want the sheep down for counting next Friday. I'm bringing them down a week early this year. Now ya'll ain't been letting too many of 'em die, have you?"

Ennis shook his head, "Only six lost to coyotes, some got sick and died."

"Only the last count will tell," Aguirre said as he rose from his seat, "I'll send word to Alma for her to be back to pick you up then also. Good day boys."

They nodded as Aguirre rose and saddled up on his horse. The two sat in silence as he rode off, and for a few extra minutes before Jack broke the silence.

"Well I guess that's it," Jack sighed, a tinge in his voice that Ennis could only recognize as him being upset.

"Yep," Ennis nodded, sniffing and taking a sip of his whisky, he had been a bit under the weather for a few days.

"So what are we gonna do?" Jack asked, hopeful eyes watching Ennis.

Ennis kept his eyes on the fire, "We're gonna take the sheep down the mountain, sit through the final count, then get paid."

"You know what I mean," Jack kept eyeing Ennis.

Ennis still did not look up, "I don't know, Jack, you're gonna go do what you do and me and Alma are going back home."

"You an' Alma?"

"Yea."

"And that's it, again, just like last year.' 

"What did you expect, Jack?" Ennis finally looked up from the fire, "I'm married."

"Yeah," Jack nodded, "what a wonderful life that must be."

"Now don't go being all hateful towards Alma," Ennis spoke, "she's a good woman with a good heart. It's not her fault that we are the way we are."

"Queer," Jack said, "we're queer Ennis, you can say it."

Ennis cut his eyes at Jack and then lowered them back to the fire. He said nothing in return.

"We've got a week Ennis!" Jack exclaimed, "I don't think I can handle loosing you again."

Ennis still did not speak. It was not that he wanted to loose Jack either, much to the contrary he wanted to be with boy as much as he wished that the world were different at the time. The world was not ready for two men to be together, they could very easily die from what they had. Also, on some level, Ennis feared hurting Alma.

Jack shook his head and rose from his seat by the fire, "Fine, don't speak." He walked over to the tent and lunged into it, laying down and exhaling heavily. He soon lost himself in his own thoughts.

Ennis remained outside, staring into the fire, still unclear on what to do.

XXXX

It did not surprise Jack that Ennis spoke no word to him about their argument that night. Over the next few days, the two continued at a monotonous pace, Ennis refusing to speak of leaving and Jack refusing to speak to Ennis. They tended much better to their jobs, but much worse to one another. At night, Jack could not sleep because of his troubled thoughts, and Ennis could not sleep for the same reasons.

What were the two lovers to do? Jack had no life to return to, and as such was willing to do anything to stay with Ennis. However, Ennis had a wife who he loved, who would one day be the mother of his children, and who was the second biggest hindrance to the future he wanted to live, dwarfed only by a narrow minded society who would not understand his and Jack's relationship.

It was not until Thursday night, the two lovers' last night together, that Ennis finally tried to talk about what Jack was so eager to discuss.

"I'm guessin' tomorrow's gonna be the day," Ennis stated as he ate the last bit of his beans.

"I'm guessin' so," Jack said, who had eaten barely anything in the past week.

"You should eat your food," Ennis pointed out, "yer startin' to look poor."

Jack took a sip of whisky and eyed Ennis, "What do you care?"

Ennis sighed and sat his empty can of beans aside. He glared at Jack before rising up to take a piss in the woods.

"This is bullshit!" Jack rose from his seat and threw his liquor bottle in the fire, he took his place in the tent directly after.

Later that night, after Jack had tucked himself into the tent and given time for the liquor to make him appropriately drunk, Ennis decided to try once again to talk to the boy.

"Hey, rodeo," Ennis called as he opened the tent flaps, "you got a second?"

"Do I have a choice?" Jack groaned.

Ennis sighed and took a seat in the tent. He looked down at Jack, who was glaring at him with intensity only a drunk person could conjure.

"Listen, bud," Ennis began, "I just don't want us to end on a bad note."

Jack sighed, "But you acknowledge that we're ending?"

"This thing, whatever it is that's between us," Ennis said, "it's got to end. It was nice while it lasted, but it's got to be over. It just ain't right."

"This thing?" Jack sat up and grabbed Ennis, "This ain't a thing, Ennis, it's you and me being queerer than a three dollar bill."

Ennis jerked away from the boy, and glared at him with an angry intensity, "I'm no queer, boy, now you get your shit straight."

"Oh my fucking God, Ennis!" Jack exclaimed as he punched the ground, "So you stick your dick into guy's asses for what?"

Ennis grabbed Jack's throat, "Now you keep your voice down, or I'll make you."

With no sober reserves to hold him back, Jack allowed his fist to collide with Ennis' face. This shocked Ennis, it really did. He did not think the boy had it in him, nor did he believe that Jack would hit him even if he did have the guts to do so. Ennis was tempted to throw a punch back, but did nothing instead. He merely rose from his seat and exited the tent, probably the most level-headed thing he had done all summer.

Jack pleaded for him not to leave, realizing what he had done after the fact. Ennis did not listen, but he kept walking until he had reached his horse. He then galloped up the night trail back to sleep with the sheep for one last night. Jack, on the other hand, lay cold in his tent, alone, just like he would be tomorrow night. No Ennis to keep him warm. No Ennis to nod while he carried on a conversation, mostly with himself. No Ennis at all.

XXXX

The next morning came all too soon. Jack could feel his heart dropping as he packed up camp for the final time. Ennis came down shortly after Jack had finished packing everything, which was a very small collection of nothing. Jack opened their last fifth of whisky and took a sip. He passed it to Ennis, who took it and drank from it as well.

"I'm sorry," Jack said, almost in a whisper, as he caught glance of a bruise just under Ennis' eye.

Ennis looked at the boy and nodded, "Whelp, Rodeo, let's get them sheep. We can be hope by nightfall if we start early."

Jack did not speak of his feelings about leaving the mountain. The first time had done nothing to Ennis to shake him, at least on the outside. So, with a heart weighing more than his body, Jack saddled up on his horse and he and Ennis proceeded up Brokeback. Once they were up the mountain the two stopped to overlook all of the sheep.

The horse ride was up was quiet, as was the first few minutes of their initial look of the large herd of sheep.

"Well," Ennis finally spoke, "time to round them up."

Jack looked at Ennis and nodded, his head hung a bit low. Ennis whistled to his horse as he proceeded down to the herd of sheep. Jack watched for a moment, the realization that the summer was over was so much more real now that it really was.

XXXX

"_Well I'll be damned," Aguirre spoke, "if I'm counting right this is less than a ten percent loss. I ain't never seen that happen."_

_Ennis nodded at Aguirre, "We tried."_

_Aguirre nodded, "Turns out I was wrong about you boys, and that's coming from one of the biggest hardasses in this state."_

_Jack shrugged, "Well, does this mean we're getting paid any more?"_

"_A raise?" Aguirre asked, "Hell no, boy, does it look my money grows on trees? But you're more than welcome to come back next year."_

"_I don't think I will," Ennis said, "I promised Alma I wouldn't have to leave her for this long again."_

"_I may," Jack spoke, "just depends on where I land."_

_Aguirre nodded, "Then head on up to the office. Buck's up there, he'll give you your money."_

Jack took a sip of his coffee. He was rethinking Aguirre's final words to him and Ennis as Ennis spoke on the payphone outside. The boys waited outside of Aguirre's trailer for a while, but when Alma never showed they decided to head down to a small café across the road from the Signal Motor Inn.

When Ennis returned to the table he looked extremely pissed, a face that Jack had seen more than once.

"What's the matter?" Jack asked.

"Nothin'," Ennis replied, "Alma's just gonna be a little late is all."

"Aguirre never called?"

"Nope."

"When's she gonna be here?"

"She's heading out early in the morning, so she'll be here tomorrow around 9 or 10."

Jack nodded and looked across the road. Ennis followed his glance. Jack shrugged and Ennis nodded. Almost as if they read one another's mind they called for their check and began to leave. But, as neither of them was aware, their minds were on much different pages.

XXXX

Jack's eyes were closed when Ennis got out of the shower. He grinned as he ran a towel through his wet hair. He soon tossed the towel aside and crawled under the covers with Jack.

"You awake?" Ennis asked.

"I am now," Jack responded.

"Oh," Ennis replied as he turned onto his back.

"What?" Jack turned to look at Ennis.

"Nothin'," Ennis responded.

"Nothin?"

"Yep."

"Fine." Jack rolled over and turned out his bedside lamp.

Ennis lay there for a second. It was his and Jack's last night together, and Ennis had expected more to come of it than a turned back and silence.

"You mad?' Ennis asked, in an uncharacteristic way.

"Do I have reason to be?" Jack asked, only to be responded by Ennis' silence. Jack then rolled over, "Or do you really mean 'Why ain't I made a move'?"

Ennis eyed the boy, "Well…"

"I don't feel like getting fucked by someone who's gonna leave me in the morning," Jack rolled over again to put his back to Ennis and closed his eyes.

Much to Ennis' surprise, Jack said nothing more and actually fell asleep. Ennis was soon to follow.

XXXX

The sun's vibrant rays crept through the small gap between the motel room's curtains. Jack opened his eyes, still warm under the covers. He rolled over to find that Ennis was not laying beside him. Instead, the bathroom light was on while the actual room was completely dark. He sighed and sat up on bed. Perhaps he should apologize to Ennis for being a jackass the night before. Of course, he may have deserved it, but it was no way to spend their last night together. Fear of loss just overtook Jack very strongly, so much that he shut down more than Ennis had.

He rose from his seat and walked towards the bathroom, "Listen, Ennis, we need to talk before Alma gets here."

When he got to the bathroom door he found that no one was in it. Ennis was not there. Jack's heart began to pump a bit harder as he glanced at the clock on the bedside stand. It read 12:23.

"Shit!" Jack bolted out of the bathroom and threw the front door open. Alma's truck was nowhere to be seen. Ennis was gone.

Jack fought back tears. Men do not cry, that was what his father had preached to him when he was young. Now, Jack saw no way to hold them back. In a pathetic scene, while he was standing in his own doorway, Jack burst out into tears. Only one person saw him, and that was a little girl rushing from a car to the room beside his.

XXXX

Jack had turned in his keys to the room and climbed into his truck. He had nowhere to go. No home to return to, save for his parent's house. He could not go back there, not now, not when he needed to get out on his own. He glanced at the passenger seat of his truck, the last person to sit there was Ennis. In his spot was a folded piece of hotel paper.

Jack took in a sharp breath, he knew what it was going to say. Part of him did not want to open it, for it was the ominous end that he had feared would come to his and Ennis' relationship last summer. However, this time there was no hope for Ennis' return to Brokeback.

Jack sighed heavily and grabbed the note. He unfolded it and, in Ennis' sloppy handwriting, only one word was written.

"Sorry."


End file.
